| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
7 Feb 2006 : Column 1096W—continued
Forensic Science
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the professional forensic bodies' register of members who are suitably qualified to act as an expert witness. [49163]
Andy Burnham: There are a number of organisations (which could be described as professional forensic bodies") that maintain lists of persons who act as expert witnesses or, in some manner, are recommended as expert witnesses. The Home Office has no responsibility for these lists and has not undertaken any assessment of them.
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the work of the Home Office Policy Advisory Board for Forensic Pathology. [49165]
Andy Burnham:
The Policy Advisory Board for Forensic Pathology was created in 1991 following the Wasserman Report" on the provision of forensic pathology in England and Wales. The role of the board was to advise the Home Secretary on forensic pathology matters with particular reference to the national aspects of forensic pathology services in England and Wales,
7 Feb 2006 : Column 1097W
such as appointment and accreditation, quality assurance, training and research and development. In response to the Leishman Review" of forensic pathology the role of the board has been transferred to other bodies. The board still exists and one of its sub-committees is still responsible for matters related to complaints but the transfer of functions is expected to be completed imminently. At that point the board shall be disbanded.
FRANK Campaign
David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what research he has commissioned on the effectiveness of the FRANK campaign. [47703]
Paul Goggins:
The Home Office and Department of Health have jointly commissioned three pieces of ongoing research to study the effectiveness of the FRANK campaign: a campaign tracking survey; a stakeholder satisfaction survey; and research to inform the development of campaign messages. There has also been a single wave of research into caller satisfaction with the FRANK helpline.
7 Feb 2006 : Column 1098W
Harmondsworth Detention Centre
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many detainees have been detained in Harmondsworth Detention Centre over the last three years for over (a) three months, (b) six months and (c) 12 months. [47072]
Mr. McNulty: The Home Office does not hold information on the total number of persons who were detained over the last three years for specific periods of time. It would only be available by examination of individual case files at disproportionate cost.
Quarterly snapshots are published showing the number of persons detained solely under Immigration Act powers on the last Saturday of each quarter.
A table showing the numbers detained at Harmondsworth as at the last Saturday of the third quarter of the last three years is shown, as the published data does not show the length and place of detention in one table.
Further information about persons detained can be found on the Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.
(14) Figures rounded to the nearest 5, with * = 1 or 2, may not sum due to rounding and exclude persons detained in police cells and those detained under both criminal and immigration powers.
(15) Relates to current period of detention only.
(16) 2 months is defined as 61 days; 4 months is defined as 122 days; 6 months is defined as 182 days.
(17) There were no detainees in Harmondsworth on 25 September 2004, due to a major incident that occurred in July of this year, resulting in temporary closure.
(18) Due to a fire and subsequent refurbishment at Harmondsworth, no detainees were being held there as at 25 September 2004, so figures as at 26 June 2004 have been provided.
National Probation Directorate
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the Director of Probation of the National Probation Directorate is entitled to performance-related bonuses; and if he will make a statement. [48112]
Fiona Mactaggart: The director of the National Probation Directorate is eligible for a performance related bonus each year, based on performance against objectives. This is in line with normal pay award arrangements for the senior civil service.
Neighbourhood Wardens
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether neighbourhood wardens will operate in rural areas outside villages and towns; and if he will make a statement. [44958]
Jim Fitzpatrick: I have been asked to reply. Wardens can function anywhere. It is for local authorities to decide whether warden schemes are appropriate to their area and where they might operate.
Indecent Images (Cautions)
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cautions were issued for the offence of having indecent pictures of children in each of the last five years. [48501]
Paul Goggins: Data from the court proceedings database held by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform for the number of offenders cautioned for possession of an indecent photograph of a child in (i) England and Wales, (ii) Essex in each of the past five years is shown in the table.
It is not possible to identify those cases involving photographs on computers as the data is not collected at this level of detail.
7 Feb 2006 : Column 1099W
(19) Offences under the Criminal Justice Act 1988, section 160 as amended by the Criminal Justice and Services Act 2000, section 41(3) (previously 181/06).
(20) All data given refer to the principal offence only.
National Offender Management Service
Mr. Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will publish his five year plan for the National Offender Management Service; and whether the National Probation Service will remain part of it. [46512]
Fiona Mactaggart: I plan to publish shortly a five year strategy for reducing re-offending and the work of the National Offender Management Service (NOMS). The strategy will provide a vision for the whole of NOMS and its constituent parts, including the National Probation Service.
Police
Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what plans he has to create further police anti-terrorist units; [43412]
(2) when the regionalisation programme for special branches is expected to be completed. [43414]
Mr. Charles Clarke:
The Special Branch regionalisation programme continues to develop in line with police counter-terrorism commitments. Special Branch Regional Intelligence Cells (RICs) have been in place since April 2003, further to recommendations made in the HMIC
7 Feb 2006 : Column 1100W
Thematic Inspection of Special Branch and Ports Policing. They are now operating in all ACPO regions enabling greater efficiency and cross regional co-ordination. They continue to develop.
A Counter-Terrorist Support Unit (CTSU) was established in the West Midlands RIC in 2004 to provide intelligence analysis support for the East and West Midlands regions. The police are currently giving further consideration to extending the CTSU concept to other force regions.
The Government remain committed to ensuring that the Police Service has the necessary resources to meet its CT commitments. The additional police counter-terrorism funding, which amounts to £173 million over the next two years, announced on the 25 January 2006, Official Report, column 57WS, will strengthen the Police Service's intelligence and investigative capability both in the capital and in local and regional policing.
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will rank each (a) English police force and (b) English Basic Command Unit by the ratio of burglaries to households in their area in the latest reporting period for which information is available; and if he will make a statement. [45575]
Hazel Blears: The information requested is given in the following table.
(21) Changes in BCU boundaries mean that figures for 2003–04 and 2004–05 are not comparable.
Notes:
1. Metropolitan police figures will not agree with totals published in 'Crime in England and Wales 2004–05' since not all crimes are assigned to BCUs.
2. Offence rates are not applicable for airports as they have no resident population.
3. All crime rates are based on mid-2003 population estimates supplied by the Office for National Statistics.
4. Caution needs to be taken when considering crime rates of city centre areas, due to the very small population and household levels in these areas. The very high reported crime rates in city centres are partly due to the use of small resident population and household figures as the denominator of the crime rate. The 'transient population' that migrates into these areas on a daily basis, either for work or leisure, will not be reflected in the resident population figures. Changes in population estimates between years must also be borne in mind when comparing changes in crime rates.
7 Feb 2006 : Column 1107W
Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers there have been in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [47790]
Hazel Blears:
Police officer numbers have increased
7 Feb 2006 : Column 1108W
by 15,588 (12 per cent.) between March 2001 and September 2005. The following table sets out the year by year numbers and the increase. In addition to police officers, at the end of September 2005 there were 6,324 community support officers and a record 71,967 police (support) staff involved in the delivery of policing.
David T.C. Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance is given to the police on procedures to follow when they need to verify the identity of a suspect whose face is covered for religious reasons. [45542]
Mr. Charles Clarke: Section 64A of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE) 1984 provides that photographs can be taken of persons detained at a police station and elsewhere than at a police station. Under the PACE Code of Practice for the Identification of Persons by Police Officers (Code D), the officer proposing to take a detainee's photograph may require the person to remove any item or substance worn on, or over, or any part of, their head or face. If the person does not comply with such a requirement, the officer may remove the item or substance. In order to obtain a suspect's consent and co-operation to remove an item of religious headwear or face covering to take a photograph, officer should consider whether in the removal of the situation the removal of the headwear or covering and the taking of the photograph should be by an officer of the same sex as the person. It would be appropriate for these actions to be conducted out of public view.
Mr. Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what date he received a business plan from the police authorities of Wales relating to the creation of a single strategic force in Wales. [44278]
Hazel Blears: A single joint submission from all four Welsh police forces and authorities was received by the 23 December 2005 deadline.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |